#1minPL - Professional Standards FAQs and Myths

Charlaine Simpson, Senior Education Officer

Engaging with the Standards and using them as tools for both reflection and development are key to the Professional Update process.
Outlined below are just some of the questions and myths surrounding the use of the Standards.

Do I have to cover all elements of the Standards with which I am working?

Do I have to cover all of the aspects of the Standard that I am working on over the 5-year PU period?

Do I have to take a traffic light approach to self-evaluating against the Standards?

I have been told that because I am in my third year of teaching that I can only work with the Standard for Full Registration.

Each year a certain number of strands within the Standards have to be covered.

I have been told that you can only work with one Standard at a time.

My headteacher will tell me what aspect of the Standard I should focus on.

You have to make sure that you focus on a different aspect of the Standard every year.

As a fully registered teacher I don't have to worry about the Professional Values as I have gained the Standard for Full Registration.

I don't need to focus on Learning for Sustainability as it's not part of the curriculum that I offer.

The leadership element of the standards is there for promoted staff only.